Storage apparatus.



No. 893,563. PATENTBD JULY v14k, 1908 G. R. BASLBR.

STORAGE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 13120.21, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Unirn srns PATENT ien.

GEORGE RUDOLPH BASLER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

OF ONE-HALF TO JENNIE Y. SEELEY, OF CHICAGO, lILLINOIS. i

s'roRAGE AP'PARATUS. l

Specifica-tion of Letters Patent.

Patented July i4, 1908.

Application filed December 21. 1907. Serial N o. 407,550.

' resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook movement of said chains or belts they will be and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Storage Apparatus, as set forth in myapplication for United States Letters Patent, Serial No..

407,550, filed in the United States Patent Office December 21, 1907; and I do hereby declare that the specification-of said application is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of refer'- ence marked thereon, which form a part of the said specification.

This invention relates to means for storing articles such as papers, documents or letters in an office, orarticles of merchandise in .a mercantile establishment, in such manner as to econ-omize floor space while at the same time making the articles readily accessible.

More especially the invention relates to apparatus for the purpose'stated embracing a 1pllurality of shelves, receptacles or the like, W 'ch are connected with a common supporting means, suoli as chains or belts and4 which are arranged in two columns or tiers and have vertical movement in the space allotted to them, in such manner that by the moved together, so that either one of said shelves or receptacles maybe brought to av point where the articles may be placed upon or within the same and removed therefrom.

The object of my invention is to provide aconstruction by which a series of shelves, re-

ce tacles or the like are connected with each `ot er and move together as described, and arranged so closely together vertically as to avoid Waste or unoccupied space in the apparatus asa whole, while at the same time the shelvesfor receptacles may be shifted or trans ferred from the upwardly to the downwardly moving rtier of said shelves or receptacles, and vice versa, without the shelves -or receptacles interfering with each other at the points of transfer. -v

My [invention embraces, as its main or rincipal featurefa storage apparatus embracing a plurality of connected shelves, receptacles or the like, arranged in two tiers,

'iing said shelves, receptacles or the like, from one tier to the other, or vice versa, adapted to effect vertical separation of the shelves or -'receptacles at the time of transfer so as to permit the shifting of the said shelves, receptacles or the like from one tier or the other Without' interference of the saine with each other during the shifting movement. The invention also embraces other features of coustruction in devices of the kind referred tol and will be hereinafter pointed out and set forth in the appended claims.

My invention may be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in

which,-

Figure 1 is a view in vertical section, taken -upon line 1 1 of Fig. 2, of an apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 isa face view of the parts constituting my apparatus, with the housing or inclosure of the apparatus in section-taken upon line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 isa plan section, taken upon line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail view showing a part of the rim' of the upper transfer wheel, Fig. 5 is a detail section taken upon line 5 5 of Fig. l. Fig.v 6 is a detail side elevation' of one of the end members of one of the shelves shown in the drawings. section taken on the line 7 7 of'Fig. 1.

As shown in the drawings, 1, 1 indicate a series of shelves, adapted to receive the articles to be stored, which are arranged in two parallel tiers. Each of saidishel'ves, as illus- 4trated, is provided with twoupright end plates 2, 2 which rise from 'the end margins of the shelves and are preferably made of triangular form. Each of said end lates is provided at its upper margin central ythereof with an outwardly projecting bearing stud 3 rovided with a bearing roller 4. Each en plate 2 is also provided at its lower edge at one side of its center with a guide pin 5provided with an antifriction roller 6.

7, 7 are guide-bars located at the ends of the shelves and consisting of upright parallel parts and semi-circular up er and lower portions connecting the uprig t parts with each other.

8, 8 indicate guide-bars located inside of and parallel with the vertical portions of the guide-bars `7', 7 The guide-bars 7, 7 and 8, 8 are lspaced at such distance apart yas to form between them guide-slots to receive the rollers 4, 4 on the ends'of the shelves. The supporting studs3,3 on said shelves extend Fig. 7 is a detail through the guide-slots between., the guide-- 'bars 7 andvSand project outside of the planes of said guide-bars.

- guidelates 9,

'9, 9 indicate vertically arranged guideplates arranged parallel with the guide-bars 7,7 and 8, 8 and adjacent to outer faces vof the' end'plates 2, 2 of lthe shelves.

9 are provided each with two parallel inwardly' projecting flangesI 10 and A11 which form between them guide-grooves adapted to receive the'guide-rollers 6, 6 on -the ends of the' shelves. The guide-grooves formed'in 4said guide-plates`9, 9 are parallel with the .guide-bars 7 vbut areoffset there-y from so as to bring said guide-grooves in po# sitiori for engagement "with the rollers 6,".6 when the'rollers 4, 4 .are engaged with the bars 7, 7.- This y ence to 1, 'in which the plates 9, 9, in

4which said guide-groovesvv are formed, are

semicircular end. portions of the associated guidebar 7, and' through which pass the sup- 'porting'studs 3 ,3 on t l-v long the innerfaces of] said l eshelves, as the ro ers `4,

44 move.

" guide-bars 7, 7. As illustrated 'land-'shown in engagement of theguide-ro outer guide-bar 7 when thel guide-'rollers 6, 6,

casting which constitutes each guide. late` the'figui'es last Aabove referred t'o, moreover,

u the art ,of each ,guid'ef'plate 9 at the right' d) ide-' bar 7 -is formed by Ia han sidexofth'e casting'l on whic said guide-bar lis also formed, while' the left-,hand 'part or section of said guidev plate 19y is made integral with the upright guide-bar Sat the left-hand4 side of said 1'.

grooves ada i ted for engagement by the rollers 6, 6 ont e ,shelvea'as described, are emshelves lalways in an'y upriglht position tpl-e ers4,4witjt e are.' engaged with'the guide-.grooves in the guide-plates 9, l9 serving to prevent any tipping or tilting of the -shelves from' thel horizontal'positionthereof. .v l .Y

According to the details illustrated, the

9-and the' adjacent part ofthe guide,- ar 7 is secured ,by means ofl an integral' .basepiece 13 to -the'floor of the room in-whichthe device is located, and, by anintegral -horizontal late 14 at thetop of the bar 7, tothe top wal 15 of a casing which surrounds the apparatus. bar 7 are shown as rigid Now` referring to the means for giving 'ends of the guide-bars '7, 7 and which, as shown, are mounted in bearings attached to Athe side walls 20, 20 ofthe casingwhicl Said l j surrounds, the apparatus., On the ends of will be understood by 'refer apparatus, sprocketj ranged to urpose of maintaining the The upright artsl ofthe guide-- i 'y connected with' vthe guide-bars 8 by U-shaped pieces 16, 16,

movement vto the several shelves 1, 1, 18 and' 19 indicate upper and lower horizontally-arranged shafts disposed concen-trically with respect to 'the semi-circular upperand lower .the uppershafts 18, exterior kto the, guidebars 7 7, are mounted two wheels 21, 21, and on' the ends j.of .thelower'shafts 19, 19 are mounted twolile wheels 22', 22. Said wheels 21 22. serve to effect. the transfer of the shelves from 'one to the other of ythe vertical tiers of shelves,'as -the 'latter are moved or shifted, as hereinafter set forth. Mounted to turn on hdrizontal axes, in the same horizontal plane and parallell with the shaft 18, exterior to the upper wheels 21, 21 are two sprocket wheels l23, 23 of whichy two are located in each side o'f the apparatus, one atV the front and the other at therean offsaid shaft18,l Similarly, at thelower part of the heels 24, 24 arelocated outside of each ofthe wheels 22 ,.22 and arturn on horizontal 'axes atoppof site Sides of the shaft 19. AS, illustrated', the wheels 23, 23 and '524, 24are yinountedfon bearing studs attached to and'projecting'inwardly from the ,sidewalls 20,-' 2040i the casing of the apparatus. Trained .around vthe v side 'sprocket-wheels 23, 23, 24, 24 are two, carrying belts 25, 25 having the form of sprocket-chains. -Said beltsA are located in vertical planes, 'oneiat each side of the appa-'x100 ratus. Said sprocket-wheels 23, 23, 24', 24 are sof arranged as. to support. vthe upright portio'nsof the belts, which extend between them, adjacent to and. inside of tliepaths of ll the supporting .studs 3, 3 ofthe shelves when' 105 said studs are in the-'upright .guide-slots vformed bythe straight and parallel parts of the guide-bars 7, 7. and 8, 8;- Said belts-2 5,

425 are,l moreover, provided oneertain links thereof, with equally spaced, outwardly eX- tending arms 26, 26, adapted 'for' engagement with'sai'dl sup lorting smtuds 3, 3. Said arms 26,26 on 'the' elts 'are' arranged at such distance apart as tof'support the shelves 1, l1 as lvclosely' adjacentl to each othervertically as 115( is possible in viewl of the articlesto be stored l -or placed on said shelves In other words,

the said arms 26; 26 serve to sustain the shelves at a minimum distance apart ver' 'tically asf-is required for the reception of the .120 articles to be'plac'ed thereon, sothat there may be no waste space between the shelves.

As, for instance, if the shelves are'intended -to receive document file boxes, the shelves may be' located at such distance apart that 125 the boxes will closely fit between them, so that practically the entire spaces-between the shelves willA be utilized as storage spaces.'

The several shelves at both the front and .rear of the apparatus are supported or sus'- 130 tained by the resting of their supporting studs 3, 3 on the arms 26, 26 and vertical movement of the shelves ise'ffected by turn'- ing of the sprocket-wheels 23, 23, 24, 24 in a direction to carry the upright parts of the belts upward or downward. As illustrated, one of the sprocket-wheels 24 is for this urposepositively driven from the'lower s aft 19, the driving means illustrated consisting of a sprocket-chain 27 (Figll) vwhich passes over a sprocket-wheel-28 on the shaft 19 and a sprocket-wheel 29 which are rigidly attached to said sprocket-wheel 24, at the outer faces thereof; said sprocket-chain 27 being located outside of the plane'of the sprocketwheel 24 between the latter and the side wall 20 of the casing, as clearly seenin Fig. 3. As illustrated in the drawings, the said lower shaft 1.9 constitutes the driving shaft for the apparatus; the same being extended at one endv through the side wall 2O of the casing and squared at its outer end to receive a crank by which rotary motion may lbe given thereto'.

The upper shaft 18 is driven or rotated in .the same directionas the lower shaft 19, and

any suitable form of driving connection between said shafts may be employed for 'so turning it. In the construction illustrated the sprocl etchain 25 is utilized forthis urpose, the same envaging a sprocket-whee 31, secured on said shaftlS between the upper sprocket wheels 2,3', and in osition for engagement with the horizonta part of the said sprocket-chain which extends between said sprocket-wheels 23, 23.

As hereinbefore stated, the several shelves 1, 1 rest upon or are sustained by the arms 26, 26 on both upright parts of the belts 25, 25 and are moved upwardly or downwardly with said upright parts of said belts. The wheels 21 and 22, which may be properly termed transfer-wheels, operate by engagement with the studs 3,-3 to remove the shelves from engagement with two of the supporting arms on the belts and to carry.

them in a semi-circular path of movement into position for engagement with other supporting arms on said belts, when said shelves reach the top or bottom of the apparatus. The devices shown for effecting engagement of said transfer wheels with the supporting studs 3, 3 on the shelves, are constructed as follows: On the rims of said wheels are mounted a series of pairs of spring-actuated detents 32, These, detents are alike on all four of the transfer-wheels and are similarly lettered in the drawings. Said detents 32, 32 are pivoted to the side faces of theiwheels near their margins by means of pivpt studs 33, 33, with the moving or swingingends of the detents adjacent to each other.

' tents have at their said swinging ends, transverse faces or shoulders, separated fromeach other by a space kor notch suHicient in width to permit the introduction of the supporting studs 3 between them, as clearly seen in Fig. 4. Said free or swinging ends of said detents 32, 32, extend outwardly beyond the margin of the transfer-wheel such distance that, when the supporting stud 3 is resting against said margin, it will be confined between the end faces of said detents. The detents are pressed yieldingly outward by means of leaf-springs 34, 34, and the outward movement thereof is limited by means of sto -pins 35, 35 projecting from the faceof the w eel and engaging slots in the detents.

The arrangement of said detents 32 i'n pairs,

both of which are movable, is employed in order to enable the transfer-wheel to engage the supportin studs on the shelves when said transfer-whee s are turned in either direction. Said transfer wheels 21 and 22 are turned or rotated at such rate of speed with respect to the ra'teof movement given to the belts 25, as to insure that one of the pairs of detents 32, 32 will engage the supporting studs 3,/

whenv said supporting studs reach horizontally opposite the center of the trans'- fer-wheel and are also opposite the centers of the sprocket-wheels 23, 23 or 24, 24. It'fol-l lows that, as soon as the studs belonging to either shelf, reach the points referred to, de' .tents on both wheels will be brought into position to engage said studs. 'In effecting such engagement of the detents with the studs, that one of each pair of detents which is in advance in the turning of the transfer` wheel, ,will yield 4inwardly when it reaches and makes contact with the stud, and will'l spring outward as soon as its free end passes t e,stud,.so as'to confine the stud between the ends of the two detents;'the other detent of the pair, or the one whose end surface is directed forwardly in the turning ofthe wheel, forming in effect a stationary stop shoulder for contact with the stud. In other words, one or the other detent of each pair acts as a swinging stop and the other as a The pai-rs of detents 32, 32 on the transfer wheels are arranged at such distance apart circumferentially ofl Vthe wheels and the wheels are driven at such speed in relation to the rate of the movement of the belts, that each shelf as soon as brought under the ,in-

' -luenceof the transfer wheels, has a more rapid rate of movement than is imparted to it by the belts. The shelves will therefore be separated vertically from each other at .the time of transferby the action ofthe transfer-Wheels, to an extent sufficient to prevent interference' of the vertically moving shelves, or those which hang on the beltsv with the shelves which are engaged with andv are beinglaterally moved by the transfer Wheels. The pairs of detents 32, 32 on the transfer-wheels, in order to effect such vertical separation of the shelves are located-at a distance apart greater than the distance-between the supporting'arms 26, 26 on the belts. ln the .constructionillustrated, each .transfer-wheel is pro'videdwith three pairs of detents 32,*32 and the speedl of rotation of thetransfer-wheels is such that said wheels will makeone-third of a revolution during the-movement ofthe belts through audistance equal to-.the'v spaces 'between the 'supporting yfrom one pair ofthe supporting arms26, 26,

arms-2,6', 26. lt will be observed'that the operation of the lower pair of transfer-wheels 22,- 22,isthe same as that of the upp'er pair 21,' 21. rl`hat is to s'ay, in the'case of the 11p- 4per pair of'transfer wheels theshelves, as

per ends of the uwardlytheyfreach .the u v moving parts of t e belts 25, 2.5, will e lifted carried overto'the downwardly moving part vot'the belts', and deposited on another 'pair of the supporting arms at the upper enlds of salid vt e be ts, e,'-

downwardly moving parts o 1n the case of the lower. transfer wheel 2v2,

eachshelf, o n reaching the lower ends ofthe downwardly moving parts of said belts, will i' carriedupwardly-away romgsaid transferA whe'els.4 In 'case' of -thelower transferlde tents thereonrwill be so adjusted with re-v bel disengaged from one pair of' supporting' arms, transferred to the lower transferwheels, and will be carried by the latter to' the lower ends of the upwardly movi-ng parts of said belts where they will be engaged byv another pair of said sup orting arms, and

wheels 22, 22 the'rate lof movement of the spe'ct Ato the position of the arms 26, 2/ on the belts that the supporting studs. 3, 3' on the v shelveswill reach'the lower ends of the upwardly moving parts Lof-the' said belts at "p'ointsjust in advance of or above one pair of said arms; this result being produced-in the' constructionshown by making theparts of the belts rbetween theplower sprocket-wheels.

24, 24 somewhat longer than the lcorresponding horizontal parts of the belts between the upper sprocket-wheels 23,' 23,; so that the lowerI parts of the sprocket-chainv will hang 'loosely between the' vsaid lower sprocketlt'willbe understood that the documents or articles of merchandise, or the' 4shelves themselves may constitute the botf oilice or commercia wheels., ias-clearly seen in Fig. 1.

I shelves l, 1, 1', illustrated Vmay be employed to support boxesor'receptacles for' containing pairs,

toms of like receptacles. .Manifestly, either one ofthe shelves in the entire series may be brought by the movement oi-all ofthe shelves, to a position opposite an opening, such as 1n- ,6o

dicated by 40 in Ithe front wall 41 of the casing or housing which surrounds the apparatus. vWhen the ap aratus is locatedim an i)establishment and it is lv desired to utilize thefentire space'between .the floor and ceiling of the'apartment, andv to takes place.

seance thereby afforda maximum storage space with a minimum floor spa'ceoccupied by the y greater than the heights of 4tlie eli'e'ctive storage spaces allorded between the'shelves, this arrangement having been necessaryfor the reasonfthat the points at which the shelves are connected with the belts in such a struci ture. must be arranged at -such'distance Jfrom each othery along the beltsl that, when the' belts'pass over the said upper' supporting wheels' or pulleys,v the 'shelves will notinterferewith each other. ln other-words, in such'prior constructions, the distances becess of the distance above the shelves in which articles might be stored, with v conse-' quent loss of space; it having been necessary that the points of 'attachment of the shelves. ,tof the belts lshould beso 'widelylseparatedthat any shelf which'is' being shifted laterally tween the shelves have'been greatly in eX- shall have substantially completed its lateral' movement before the next succeeding shelf ,begins its lateral movementq' lnthe con-' struction herein described, the shelves supported on the 'upright portions oithe belts -may each carryl articles llin thefspace between the same and the shel above it, and' when the lateral movement or transfer of any shelf takes place, ,the latter is liftedor separatedvvertically -'from the shelf below it, so

that no interference of onel shelf with another in the 'lateral movement of theshelves lt follows' trom.l the 'above that my invention lembracf-Ls 'as its essential or material' feature, a series 'oi shelves or receptacles,

carrying belts on which the samearehung and byl which they are given vertical movement, together with means Jforeffecting'v lateral movement of' the shelves, so arranged as toincrease the distance between the shelves' during such lateral movement, and -inasmuch as this feature of 'construction may bee-mbodied in forms of apparatus dif- Jfering from that illustrated, so farv as thev broader aspects of the .invention areconcerned, l do not desire to be limited to theA particular lfeatures shown. My invention also mcludesthedetails of'construc'tionl illustratedso far as the same' are pointed'out in the a pended claims as parts of the same.` I c aim as my invention l1. A storage apparatus comprising a plurality of shelves arrangedfin two-,tiers and Aadaptedior vertical movement, and means for effecting klateral movement' of sald shelves from ,onej tier to the 0ther,' at the :upper and lower end 's'thereof adapted toxin-fl ist G. "belts and wit crease the vertical distance between the shelves during such lateral/movement of thef f same.

the upper and lower ends thereof operating to increase the vertical distance between the shelves during suchshifting movement of 3. A storage apparatus comprising a plu-v rality of shelves arranged in two tiers and adapted for vertical movement, endless belts supporting said shelvesduring their vertical rmovement, and means acting to shift the said shelves in curved paths from one tier to the otheriat the upper and lower ends thereof,

' o erating to give more rapid movement to e shelves during lsuch shifting movement y than during their vertical movement.

'i 4. A storage apparatus comprising a plurality of movable shelves provided with supporting studs, .two belts provided with arms transfer wheels provided with means for en-` lgagement .with said supporting studs, and a adapted for-engagement with said supportmg studs, wheels supporting said belts,

-guide adapted for engagement with said Mio studs.. l f 5.- A storage apparatus'icomprising a plurality of movable shelves provided with suporting studs and with ,guide studs offset aterally from the supporting studs, two belts provided with arms adapted for engagement with said supporting studs, .tws transfer wheels provided with means for engagement with said supporting studs, and

parallelguides for said supporting studs and. guide studs.

` i12. A storage apparatus comprising a plu.

' "lrality of movable shelves provided with supporting studs, two belts provided with arms I `for `engagement with said studs, transfer wheels provided with spring-actuated de- .tents for engagement with said-studs, land a guide forv said studs. adaptedto retain the same in engaglement with the arms on the the detents on the transfer i wheels.

* T vA storage apparatus comprising a plu.-

,rality of movable shelves rovided' with suporting studs, two belts provided with arms rality of .shelves providedl with supporting studs,two belts provided with arms for engagement with said studs, four wheels for supporting each belt, two located at the top and two at the bottom of the apparatus, and transfer wheels located at the top and bottom of the apparatus and` provided with means for engagement with said studs.

9. A storage apparatus comprising a plurality of shelves provided with supporting studs, two belts provided with arms for en-l gagement with said studs,. four wheelsfor supporting each belt, two located at the top and two at the bottom 'ofthe apparatus, four transfer wheels, and a plurality of pairs of spring-pressed detents on each of said transfer wheels arranged with the swinging ends of the detents of each pair adjacent to each other.

10. A storage apparatus com rising a plurality of shelves provided wit supporting studs, two belts provided with arms for engagement with said studs, supporting wheels for said belts, transfer wheels, a plurality of pairs of spring pressed detents on said wheels, the detents ofeachpair having their swinging ends adjacent to each other and adapted toproject outside of the periphery of the wheel on -which said detents are mounted, and a semi-circular guide associated with each transfer wheel and acting to hold the studs in engagement with the detents in the movement of the studs with said detents.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention l aiX my signature in the presence of two witnesses, this 16th day of December A. D. 1907.

G. RUDOLPH BASLER.

Witnesses:

C. CLARENCE PooLE,

G. R. WILKINs. 

